Peninsula Yachting Acquires Controlling Interest in IYC—and Is Considering Further Investments

A newly formed division of a private-equity company has acquired the majority stake of IYC. Peninsula Yachting may be new to the superyacht market, but its parent company has roots in maritime. Additionally, similar to previous practice, it intends to invest in business expansion, allowing IYC to reach new markets.

Peninsula Yachting belongs to Peninsula Capital, a European private-equity firm specializing in long-term investments in established companies. Consumer, retail, and leisure sectors are among the areas of its focus. It further provides additional capital for acquisitions and expansion. Currently, Peninsula Yachting is Peninsula Capital’s only public tie to the megayacht market and the larger maritime sector. However, from 2018 to 2021, Peninsula Capital held significant interest in Contships Holdings, a Cyprus-based shipping group. Among other things, it allowed Contships, one of the largest shipping groups globally, to modernize its fleet.

Notably, Peninsula Capital says it leaves C-level executives in control of day-to-day operations. To that point, IYC says its management structure remains the same. “Our new partners share our conviction that the best of IYC lies ahead of us,” says Stefanos Makrymichalos, IYC’s chairman. Michel Chryssicopoulos, global managing partner of IYC, agrees, adding, “We have built something that takes decades to earn: trust from owners, clients, and partners across oceans. This investment is a vote of confidence in what IYC stands for and in the teams that deliver it every day.” Peninsula Yachting has not named an executive overseeing IYC, nor released its own statement.

According to IYC, Peninsula Yachting’s involvement will permit pursuing more growth within the superyacht sector and tangentially. This includes adding to its fleet. For perspective, its charter-management division currently oversees about 180 yachts. Yet another development will be opening new geographic markets and client segments.

Currently, IYC has 15 offices globally, including in the United States and Europe. Yacht sales, yacht charter, yacht management, charter management, and new-construction consultation are its focuses.

IYC iyc.com